ORCBRB – Chapter 41

Chapter 41

When Sang Shi'an left her room, the Jian family members were gathered in the living room downstairs. Besides Jian Cenyu, Jian Zhenyang and a few other cousins of similar age were also there. The guests were all in the front house, and none of the Jian family elders were present, so it was likely these few had arranged to meet here specifically.

Jian Cenyu sat in the very center of the sofa, listening to a female cousin next to her. Her light-colored eyes were like cold stars, not at all how one would treat a relative, and her tightly pressed thin lips gave off an imposing aura.

Sang Shi'an stumbled upon the scene and had to watch from the railing for a long time before she dared to recognize her.

Jian Cenyu's attitude towards her had always been gentle, and recently it had even regained some of the tenderness from their youth. She had almost forgotten that Jian Cenyu was once voted campus belle precisely because of her aloof and unapproachable nature.

From the third floor, unnoticed by Jian Cenyu, Sang Shi'an relaxed her hands, crossing them over the rosewood railing. She admired Jian Cenyu's indifferent demeanor for a while, recalling the Jian Cenyu from the beginning of the semester who had been so unapproachable yet had eagerly taken care of her. She couldn't help but feel a little sentimental.

What did it matter if Jian Cenyu didn't like her now? People could be blind sometimes. It would be fine once she treated Jian Cenyu a little more.

Or... maybe she could slip that psychologist a bigger red envelope and take Jian Cenyu to see them too?

Sang Shi'an couldn't help but be amused by her own thoughts. Just as she was about to go downstairs to find her, her gaze fell on Jian Zhenyang sitting in a single armchair, and the smile on her lips instantly vanished.

His eyes were fixed on Jian Cenyu with a sinister glare, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows.

Sang Shi'an had thought Jian Zhenyang wouldn't make a special appearance today. She hadn't expected him to truly never miss an opportunity to be disgusting.

She watched for a few more moments, then turned around, went back to her room, and locked the door. She found Wen Yansheng in her WeChat contacts. Wen Yansheng was a contact she had added to expand her network, but after hearing Jian Cenyu mention Jian Zhenyang's Huaxing IPO project last time, Sang Shi'an, not wanting to seem like an ignoramus, had privately consulted her.

Wen Yansheng's resume was easy to look up. A top student with bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from Oxford, she had stirred up quite a storm in foreign capital circles without ever getting caught by regulatory bodies like the SEC. Now, she was teaching at Yuncheng University, looking as if she had turned over a new leaf, but that was only on the surface.

She had once asked Wen Yansheng indirectly, and Wen Yansheng hadn't hidden anything. Wen Yansheng's parents had been embroiled in a serious financial case. Before the trial, they both died in a car accident, and the Mingjia Group, once one of the top 100 companies in the country, fell directly into the hands of her stepmother.

As long as a person had ambition, they had a weakness. Looking at Wen Yansheng's previously detailed explanations, Sang Shi'an had to admit she had been swayed by her.

But right now, she really couldn't find anyone more suitable.

"Little one, I thought you'd wait until the end of the semester to call me." Wen Yansheng seemed to be outdoors, her voice tinged with a laugh.

Sang Shi'an always felt an unease talking to her, like chatting with a teacher. "Senior Wen, are you in class right now? Should I call you back later?"

"I just had a public lecture reviewed by the leadership and was on my way back. It's convenient for me to talk now." The sound of a car door closing came from Wen Yansheng's end before she asked, "Is it about your Cenyu Jiejie again?"

"Those parasites in her family are always hovering around. It's annoying," Sang Shi'an said lightly.

"I mentioned this to Cenyu a long time ago. She's well aware. Little one, company matters aren't as simple as you think." Wen Yansheng's speaking pace didn't sound like someone kindly helping a child solve her problems, but more like a paid chat service that would hang up the second the time was up.

Sang Shi'an hurriedly stopped her, "I'm not the same as Jian Cenyu. I can do things she can't."

"Oh? What do you want to do?"

Sang Shi'an nonchalantly recounted the incident at the Yanjing University lab and the subsequent trip to the police station. "...I drove a wedge between my brother and Jian Zhenyang. Now, many people know their relationship has soured, and a lot of companies that were going to partner with Jian Zhenyang have adopted a wait-and-see attitude."

"Does this count as the opportunity you mentioned before, to leave Jian Zhenyang with no way out?"

There was a long, long silence on the other end of the line. Just when Sang Shi'an thought Wen Yansheng had hung up, she suddenly laughed. "It counts."

Sang Shi'an: "Then..."

"Although Jian Corporation is controlled by Cenyu's father, his siblings all received shares, so he doesn't hold that much himself, which means he's heavily constrained. When Cenyu returned to the country, she had plans to consolidate power, but this isn't her area of expertise, and those people are her blood relatives after all."

Wen Yansheng was finally willing to reveal the hidden details. "Before I returned to Yuncheng, I even helped her create a systematic plan. Rather than spending years, or even a decade, to root out her relatives one by one, it would be better for her to take her research achievements and start her own company."

Speaking of this, Wen Yansheng seemed to suddenly remember something and let out an 'ah'. "Your brother is also very interested in this. He's asked her out many times specifically for it."

Sang Shi'an paused. "My brother asked her out just for that research?"

"Perhaps it's for the marriage alliance? An unmarried man and woman should go on more dates before marriage to cultivate their feelings."

"...You're lying."

Hearing her muffled words, Wen Yansheng finally laughed again. "Well, big sister isn't too clear on the specifics, but their marriage alliance was just a verbal mention. If you want to take advantage of the situation, there are still plenty of opportunities."

Sang Shi'an: "Who wants to—"

"Then Jian Corporation's affairs have nothing to do with you. I can't help," Wen Yansheng interrupted her.

Sang Shi'an was so angry she wanted to bite someone.

"I @%??#..." She muttered a string of unintelligible words before finally compromising. "You have to help me."

Wen Yansheng knew when to stop, leaving the young girl some face. "Jian Corporation is valued at nearly a hundred billion. The Jian family holds over thirty percent of the shares. The old man kept a small portion for himself. Jian Zhenyang's branch holds four percent, and the old man's other children hold a bit less, but together they have fifteen percent. Excluding those who are neutral and those who completely side with Cenyu, you'll need to acquire at least seven percent."

Her pace was unhurried. It was clear she had prepared for this before Sang Shi'an's call.

"This is not a small sum. Even if they're short on cash, they might not be willing to sell their shares. I'm still having someone investigate why Jian Zhenyang is so insistent on taking Huaxing public. Even if he wants to leech off Jian Corporation, he could have used a gentler approach."

"In my experience, there must be something else going on here. If we can use it to our advantage, we might be able to manipulate the situation."

Afterward, Wen Yansheng mentioned terms like 'offshore companies' and 'share price manipulation'. Sang Shi'an listened very, very carefully. Wen Yansheng also truthfully informed her of all the investment and legal risks involved.

Just as Wen Yansheng was asking about the amount of capital Sang Shi'an could provide, there was a knock on the door. Fearing the person outside would overhear, Sang Shi'an hastily hung up.

She opened the door to find Jian Cenyu.

"Why that expression upon seeing me? Were you secretly up to no good?" Jian Cenyu noticed Sang Shi'an's wide eyes and smiled lightly.

"Yes, I stole the gold bars you hid in here," Sang Shi'an shot her a speechless glare and turned to send a message back to Wen Yansheng.

[2 billion, can be available after the New Year.]

After the New Year, all her trust funds and stocks would be under her own control. She couldn't produce that much cash at once, and she couldn't touch the stocks, only the dividends accumulated over the years. But with Wen Yansheng's experience, she would probably have guessed as much.

"How heavy are gold bars?" Jian Cenyu was exasperated. "The staff outside said you'd left the room. Did you see me with the others?"

Sang Shi'an had just seen a few cleaning staff, so it wasn't strange that they would report back. She hummed in agreement and sat down on the sofa nonchalantly. "You left me alone in the room for so long. Can't I miss you?"

Although it was just a casual flirtatious remark, when Jian Cenyu sat down next to her, Sang Shi'an couldn't stop her ears from burning.

"I see." Jian Cenyu twisted open a bottle of mineral water by her side. She seemed thirsty and took several large gulps. "I thought you'd set your sights on something else and wanted to blackmail me for it."

"You're looking down on me." Sang Shi'an kicked the edge of Jian Cenyu's shoe. "Is that what you call blackmail? I call it giving you an opportunity to win me over."

Jian Cenyu pointed at her a couple of times, then leaned back against the sofa.

"Is it that funny?" Seeing her strong reaction, Sang Shi'an leaned closer to check.

As she got closer, she caught the scent of another woman's perfume on Jian Cenyu and sniffed keenly. "Such a tacky perfume scent. Who were you with just now?"

Jian Cenyu turned her head and sniffed her right shoulder where Sang Shi'an had. "Is there?"

Sang Shi'an glanced up at her, then lowered her head further. The tip of her nose brushed almost imperceptibly against Jian Cenyu's collarbone before she casually leaned back. "I told you the scent was cheap. It faded after a little while."

Jian Cenyu narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze sweeping over Sang Shi'an. Unfortunately, Sang Shi'an had lowered her head to open her phone, making it impossible to see the expression in her eyes and thus impossible to judge whether her previous action was intentional or accidental.

Xu Taotao had just broken up with someone a while ago and was already in a new relationship. She was constantly asking for dating advice in their small group chat, which conveniently saved Sang Shi'an from her awkwardness.

She replied to a few messages. Jian Cenyu received a call from Jian Zhihuan, asking her to come down and greet the guests.

Sang Shi'an glanced at the eight-centimeter high heels on Jian Cenyu's feet, grumbling to herself about why Jian Cenyu had to dress so beautifully. She wondered if she would come back having collected a bunch of perfume scents like stamps.

So she stood up. "I'll go with you."

Jian Cenyu: "It'll be boring if you go now. I'll call you when it's time for dinner."

Sang Shi'an insisted, "Who knows if you're going down there to attract admirers. I have to keep an eye on you for my brother."

A hint of a smile flickered in Jian Cenyu's eyes. She said with feigned difficulty, "Alright then."

Sang Shi'an ate the meal without tasting a thing. At first, following Jian Cenyu around, she was mistaken for one of Jian Cenyu's cousins. After being mistaken too many times, Sang Shi'an couldn't help but offer a clarification. After that, the number of people coming to greet her because of the Sang family behind her noticeably increased.

Fortunately, she deliberately maintained a sliver of clarity. She remembered what happened last time she got drunk and used her Kitty account with Jian Cenyu. This time, knowing her own feelings, she was worried she might confess to Jian Cenyu in a blackout state. She held firmly to her limits and was eventually half-coaxed, half-led back to the room by Jian Cenyu to rest.

Because she had to take care of her, Jian Cenyu was also excused from socializing.

When she was placed on the bed, Sang Shi'an sniffed the still-clean scent on Jian Cenyu, dazedly pressing herself closer. "Jian Cenyu, your heart is beating so fast."

It wasn't a teasing tone, more like a statement of fact.

Jian Cenyu's entire body tensed up. The waistline of her long dress tightened with every breath.

In the unlit room, Sang Shi'an's expression was unclear.

Sang Shi'an hooked her arms around her neck, half-leaning against the headboard. Their faces were very close, their breaths already intertwined.

Jian Cenyu didn't dare to make a rash move, but Sang Shi'an seemed genuinely drunk. She sniffed her skin inch by inch, from her cheek to her collarbone, every spot feeling as if it had been set on fire.

It wasn't until she lingered at her chest that Jian Cenyu seemed to snap back to reality and pushed Sang Shi'an away.

The back of Sang Shi'an's head hit the pillow, and she seemed to sober up a little. "Ow... that hurts."

Jian Cenyu turned on the bedside lamp and said stiffly, "An'an, you're drunk."

The two sat in silence for a while. Sang Shi'an slowly sat up and, like a child who had done something wrong, quietly hooked Jian Cenyu's pinky finger, calling out softly, "Cenyu Jiejie?"

Jian Cenyu's tense body relaxed, and she turned to check Sang Shi'an's head. "Did you hit it hard?"

"No, but I'm very dizzy, and thirsty too." Sang Shi'an's speech slowed down when she was drunk.

Jian Cenyu looked at her for a moment, then stood up and instructed, "Wait for me here for a bit. I'll be right back."

Sang Shi'an: "Okay."

Twenty minutes passed and Jian Cenyu still hadn't returned. Sang Shi'an suspected that Jian Cenyu had been called away by those relatives again to talk about the marriage alliance, so she logged into her Kitty account and started having a meltdown.

[Jiejie, are you done meeting your relatives? Why didn't you message me tonight, Jiejie? Did you really go on a date with your marriage partner?]

[Is Jiejie abandoning me? The thought of Jiejie on a date with someone right now makes me so jealous I want to go crazy.]

[...]

After sending who knows how many messages, until a casual scroll showed only her own monologue, Sang Shi'an finally calmed down. With extreme composure, she reviewed the messages she had sent.

And then she just froze.

Wait, did she really send these messages that looked like they were written by someone about to have a complete breakdown?

Sang Shi'an raised a hand to cover her eyes, utterly unwilling to admit she had sent them. Taking advantage of the fact that the messages could still be retracted, she began to destroy the evidence with trembling hands.

[As long as Jiejie doesn't get engaged to someone else, I'll be good and do whatever Jiejie asks.]

Okay, retract.

[Never mind, I can't bear it. It's better if Jiejie does whatever she wants to me, no matter how unreasonable.]

Okay, keep retracting.

[I'm about to go crazy with jealousy. I want to lock Jiejie up and do whatever I want to her.]

This one absolutely cannot—

A new message popped up. Jian Cenyu: [Don't overthink it. There was no date.]

Sang Shi'an: ...

Followed by a second message: [I'm very happy to see that Kitty cares about me so much.]

The door was pushed open, and Jian Cenyu came in with two bowls of hot hangover soup.

The window in the room wasn't fully closed, and the sight of Jian Cenyu made Sang Shi'an choke and start coughing violently.

Jian Cenyu put down the soup and, without a word, wrapped an arm around Sang Shi'an's back to pat it gently, while her other hand covered the back of Sang Shi'an's hand.

The warmth of her palm melted the coldness of Sang Shi'an's hand. Perhaps due to extreme guilt and anxiety, Sang Shi'an's hand couldn't help but tremble slightly, and the coughing continued.

Jian Cenyu went to close the window. When she returned, Sang Shi'an was still coughing. She felt Jian Cenyu's hand grip hers again with a bit more force.

Sang Shi'an forced down her embarrassment and glanced at Jian Cenyu. Seeing that her expression was normal, she relaxed a little.

That's right. Jian Cenyu had always treated her and Kitty differently. How could she possibly extend her feelings for Kitty to her?

Sang Shi'an composed herself and said obediently to Jian Cenyu, "I'm not cold, I just choked on something."

Jian Cenyu explained, "I ran into my grandfather just now and he lectured me for a bit, so I came back late."

Sang Shi'an whipped her head around to look at Jian Cenyu, her eyes wide. "What did he want from you?"

Jian Cenyu opened her mouth, about to explain, but Sang Shi'an irritably shook her off. "Forget it. It's definitely something I don't want to hear."

In large families, the child who cries the loudest always gets the candy. The elders rarely favor the most capable and independent one.

Sang Shi'an swayed as she tried to get off the bed to put on her shoes. Jian Cenyu quickly grabbed her arm. "Finish the hangover soup first."

"I don't want it," Sang Shi'an shook her off.

Jian Cenyu held her by the shoulders and guided her back. "I'm the one who was wronged, not you. Is this your way of feeling sorry for me, by throwing a tantrum at me?"

Sang Shi'an fell silent, as if her lifeline had been seized. "...Who feels sorry for you."

She pointed at the hangover soup on the opposite table. "I want that."

Jian Cenyu brought it over for her. Sang Shi'an pointed to the other bowl. "Bring yours over too."

Jian Cenyu didn't know what she was planning but did as she was told. Before taking a sip, Sang Shi'an tapped her bowl against Jian Cenyu's. "Cheers."

Jian Cenyu: ...

With someone to drink with her, Sang Shi'an didn't act up again, despite the spicy taste of the ginger.

After finishing, she started rummaging through the bedside table. "Any candy?"

Jian Cenyu got up and left the room again. When she returned, she was holding a handful of candies she had probably swindled from some nephew or niece.

They were all plum and mint-flavored candies. Sang Shi'an unwrapped two, tried them, and spat them out, looking uninterested.

"Those birthday gifts I had my brother return during those four years, did you throw them away?" Sang Shi'an started to chat idly.

Jian Cenyu froze for a moment, seemingly caught off guard by Sang Shi'an's question, unable to come up with the most suitable answer right away.

Sang Shi'an bit her lip. "...You really threw them away?"

She nodded, saying matter-of-factly, "That makes sense. I was ignoring you, so sending gifts was already you being benevolent for the sake of our families' relationship. Why would you keep those upsetting things? It would be abnormal if you didn't throw them away."

Jian Cenyu's lips moved, and she could only go along with Sang Shi'an's words. "Yes."

"Those crystal high heels for my eighteenth birthday, I've seen them before. They cost over three hundred thousand, and you just threw them away. The Jian family knows so many people, couldn't you have just picked another little sister to give them to?" Sang Shi'an looked at Jian Cenyu, her eyes filled with condemnation. "You're too wasteful."

Jian Cenyu: ...

Jian Cenyu nodded, a headache coming on. "Yes, I should have just given them to another little sister, and then I would never have had to see you again in this lifetime."

Sang Shi'an blinked slowly. "You're so smart."

"You're smarter, knowing how to rub salt in my wound with those four years."

Sang Shi'an couldn't help but laugh out loud. She was about to cover her face but remembered her makeup, so she restrained her hand, cleared her throat, and asked seriously, "My birthday is in less than ten days. How are you planning to celebrate it for me?"

Jian Cenyu put down the porcelain bowl, her posture relaxed. "Twentieth birthday. I'll buy you a cake and light twenty candles."

Sang Shi'an: "So I can make twenty wishes?"

Jian Cenyu shook her head. "Just lighting the candles."

"That's no fun at all," Sang Shi'an said, rolling over. "Then I won't celebrate with you guys. I'm going to throw a party and have Su Ningyue call all the male celebrities from her sister's company to celebrate with me."

She deliberately emphasized the word 'male', clearly with ulterior motives.

Jian Cenyu poked Sang Shi'an's forehead. "Are you picking out a consort?"

Then she pulled Sang Shi'an's arm. "You've sobered up enough. We can go back now."

Sang Shi'an glanced at her phone and refused. "It's already eleven. You've been drinking too. You're not going to make the driver crawl out of bed to take us back, are you?"

Jian Cenyu froze.

"Your grandfather's drivers are all quite old. It's not good to disturb the elderly." Sang Shi'an pulled her hand back and patted the bed. "I'm really dizzy right now and I'll get carsick. Let's just stay here for the night."

Jian Cenyu's eyes narrowed slightly as she looked down at Sang Shi'an.

First asking for a drink, then for candy, and finally dragging her into a bunch of nonsensical chatter. It was all just to stall for time.

Jian Cenyu was helpless. "There are no skincare products you're used to here, not even the makeup remover you usually use. An'an, you won't be comfortable."

Sang Shi'an said stubbornly, "But I'm really dizzy, and my stomach feels awful. I really can't take a car."

Jian Cenyu lowered her head and smiled. "An'an, you're being too willful."

Sang Shi'an gently tugged on the corner of Jian Cenyu's clothes. "But you'll indulge me anyway, right?"

Jian Cenyu's heart suddenly trembled. Her gaze lowered, quietly looking at Sang Shi'an.

Sang Shi'an's features had been exceptionally beautiful since she was a child. Especially after drinking, a lovely pink would dust the area around her eyes. When she pleaded for something so pitifully, it was really hard to refuse.

Jian Cenyu closed her eyes, her hand resting on top of Sang Shi'an's head. Then she bent down and pulled her into an embrace. "Go ahead and torment me."

Sang Shi'an closed her eyes, her lashes fluttering constantly. She gently tightened her arms around Jian Cenyu, a triumphant smile flashing in her eyes.

Jian Cenyu didn't push her away, which was undoubtedly an encouragement to someone under the influence of alcohol. Taking advantage of the embrace, Sang Shi'an looked up and kissed Jian Cenyu's lower lip, drawing it into her mouth.

Warm, soft, and sweet.

Sang Shi'an's eyelashes trembled even faster.

Just as she was about to kiss her upper lip, Jian Cenyu's movements paused, and she pushed her away somewhat hastily.

Sang Shi'an tilted her head, looking at Jian Cenyu with an innocent and confused expression.

Jian Cenyu's lowered hands clenched tightly, and even her usually neat long hair was scattered messily across her chest.

Before she could say anything, Sang Shi'an called out first, "Brother?"

Then her gaze slowly focused, as if she had suddenly sobered up, her eyes showing apology. "Sorry, I mistook you for someone else just now."

You won't blame me, right?

---

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